Coming up· published 7 Apr 2026
Essex Children's Homes Collaboration event
Essex County Council · Chelmsford, East
Essex County Council is planning Essex Children's Homes Collaboration event. It is a contract for other health and social care in Chelmsford.
Source: Find a Tender, published 7 Apr 2026. Details are refreshed every 30 minutes.
Key dates
2025
Pipeline notice published
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice · 11:28
View notice2026
Pipeline notice published
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice · 11:37
View notice2026
Pipeline notice updated
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice · 12:51
View notice2026
Contract starts
Next
2029
Contract ends
3 years after it starts
Show 7 more notices in betweenHide the notices in between
- Pipeline notice publishedUK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice · 14:59View notice
- Pipeline notice publishedUK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice · 13:15View notice
- Pipeline notice publishedUK1 - Pipeline Notice · 13:14View notice
- Pipeline notice updatedUK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice · 12:47View notice
- Pipeline notice updatedUK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice · 07:49View notice
- Pipeline notice publishedUK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice · 09:46View notice
- Tender notice expectedDate given in the buyer's earlier notice
About this tender
In brief
Essex County Council is planning Essex Children's Homes Collaboration event. It is a contract for other health and social care in Chelmsford. The buyer has published an early notice. It gives providers time to prepare before the tender opens. The contract runs from 31 May 2026 to 30 May 2029. It lasts 3 years.
The buyer marks it as suitable for SMEs and VCSEs. Find a Tender published it on 7 April 2026. The notice number is 031483-2026. The OCDS ID is ocds-h6vhtk-04fead.
Summary of the contracting process
The Essex County Council is actively engaged in the planning stage of a public procurement process, titled "Essex Children's Homes Collaboration event". Targeted specifically at children's homes, this initiative falls under the health and social work services category. The council aims to work collaboratively with providers from Essex and neighbouring areas, constructing a market engagement strategy to access resources for Essex children.
A forthcoming online meeting scheduled on 15th December 2025 on Microsoft Teams will allow for further discussion, including procurement structure feedback and operational updates. Providers interested in joining this strategic collaboration must submit their reservations by 12th December 2025. SMEs and VCSEs can benefit from Essex County Council's initiative, providing exclusive residential facilities for Essex's young people.
The process emphasises co-designing approaches to address emergencies and complex needs, presenting a chance for providers to secure long-term contracts and enhance service delivery. Potential providers can optimise their offerings within the council's strategic framework to deliver effective solutions for the community’s requirements.
The notice in full
Following the Essex Children's Homes Collaboration event on the 25th September 2025, Essex County Council would like to invite providers of children's homes in Essex and surrounding areas to an online meeting. The event will be held on the 15th December 2025, between 14:00 and 15:30 on Microsoft Teams. The time will be used to:
- Share the learning from the last event and recap on ambitions to work collaboratively with the market to access Essex homes for Essex children.
- Share the Council's initial considerations regarding the procurement structure to gain market feedback and insight as part of the co-design process. Please note that this section will include an overview of the proposed shortlisting process to identify suitable providers who will form part of a collaborative approach to delivering Essex sufficiency, specifically in relation to emergencies and complexity of need.
- To provide an operational update on work to adapt internal processes in the meantime.
Please note that the focus of this event is strategic in nature, and long-term commissioning. It is not about individual placements. Therefore, it is appropriate for Directors and Owners to attend.
To reserve space for your organisation, please use the following link to access and fill out our booking form: forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx Explanatory notes: Please be advised that any information regarding the contract value and contract duration within this notice are provided for indicative purposes to fulfil the requirements of the online form.
The Council reserves the right to review and amend this information and will publish the actual position within the tender notice.
In addition, please note that in relation to the stated position regarding the contracting authority within this notice, the contracting authority is Essex County Council and any Successor Body meaning one or more entities which assumes any of the Council's functions (as applicable) as a result of Local Government Reform (LGR).
Such successor body or bodies may be, without limitation, a local authority, a combined authority, a combined county authority, a strategic authority or any other status determined pursuant to the Devolution and LGR Legislation.
Lots: no lot details came through with this notice. The official notice and the tender pack have the full breakdown.
Key facts
Contract
- Service
- Other health and social care
- Procurement type
- Standard
- Category
- Services
- Contract period
- 31 May 2026 to 30 May 2029 (3 years)
- Suitable for
- Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs); Voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs)
Procedure
- Notice type
- UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
- Current stage
- Planning
- Stages so far
- Planning
- Published on
- Find a Tender Service
Not stated in the notice: procurement method, awardee scale.
Values
Not stated in the notice: tender value, lots value, awards value, contracts value.
Status
- Tender
- Planned
- Lots
- Planned
Not stated in the notice: awards, contracts.
References
- Find a Tender notice
- 031483-2026
- Open Contracting ID
- ocds-h6vhtk-04fead
- CPV code
- 85000000 - Health and social work services
- CPV division
- 85 - Health and social work services
Location
- Local authority
- Chelmsford
- Town
- Chelmsford
- Postcode
- CM1 1QH
- Electoral ward
- Moulsham and Central
- Constituency
- Chelmsford
- Delivery area
- Essex
- Region
- East
- Sub-region
- Heart of Essex
- Area
- Essex
- Country
- England
Buyer
Contracting authority
- Organisation
- Essex County Council
- Category
- Services
- Address
- Chelmsford, CM1 1QH · East · England
Not stated in the notice: contact, phone.
Documents and links
- Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tenderfind-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/031483-2026
- Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tenderfind-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/022867-2026
- Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tenderfind-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/079183-2025
- Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tenderfind-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/057157-2025
- Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tenderfind-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/054653-2025
- Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tenderfind-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053185-2025
- Pipeline notice on Find a Tenderfind-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/053184-2025
- Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tenderfind-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/034481-2025
- Preliminary market engagement notice on Find a Tenderfind-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/013627-2025
- Forms.office.comforms.office.com/e/BQxSs1xJHB
- Essexproviderhub.orgessexproviderhub.org/children-s-services/contacts/new-to-esse…
- Legislation.gov.uklegislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents
- OCDS record ocds-h6vhtk-04fead (JSON)find-tender.service.gov.uk/api/1.0/ocdsReleasePackages/ocds-h…
Questions about Essex Children's Homes Collaboration event
When will the Essex Children's Homes Collaboration event tender open?
Essex County Council has not yet given a date for the tender notice. An early notice is the time to answer any market engagement questions and gather the evidence a bid will need.
How long is the Essex Children's Homes Collaboration event contract?
The contract runs from 31 May 2026 to 30 May 2029 (3 years).
Who is the buyer for Essex Children's Homes Collaboration event?
Essex County Council, based in Chelmsford, East.
How do I bid for Essex Children's Homes Collaboration event?
Register on the buyer's portal named in the notice, download the tender pack and check every condition of participation before you start writing. The buyer has marked it as suitable for SMEs and VCSEs. Care Sync Experts writes and reviews care tender bids from £1,500 + VAT.
Want help winning this tender?
We write and review care tender bids: quality answers, case studies and social value, checked against how the buyer scores before you submit.
What to do next
- Read the early notice in full.
- Answer any market engagement questions.
- Gather your evidence and case studies now.
- Check your policies are up to date.
- Watch for the tender notice.
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